Thread: Why is water so important?

What is the science behind drinking lots of water? More than just filling your tummy? How will it actually affect losses and why?

how much should we be having and does that figure include from shakes etc?

thank you.

It is also to stop you getting dehydrated as we get water from the foods we eat also. The guidelines suggets we have 2.5-3l a day and that is including the water used for shakes, coffees etc

It's because when we're eating normal food, we get water from the food we're eating. When you're on a VLCD and you're not eating 'proper food', we don't get that water, so we have to drink more to compensate for that water.

Okay that makes sense, thanks.

people have said that it aids / speeds up weight loss though by flushing out.....how?

noodles explained it on another thread you created
http://www.minimins.com/slim-save/30...-possible.html (Ketostix saying no.....ten days in....is this possible?)

I've been having a bit of a trawl round t'internet to see what I can find about the science, some of the most interesting looking articles are the ones I can't get into during the day (I'll look later at home ) but it kind of looks in a nutshell that with lower carb intake, the kidneys flush out the water they retain with a higher carb intake, so extra water is needed to replace this, in addition to needing to keep up your regular levels that you are no longer getting from food intake. I'm guessing that the ketone by-products can only be processed through the liver (?) and kidneys if there is sufficient water to complete the process, so by keeping the water intake through your organs high, then they keep on processing. This has triggered an anorak interest for me, so I'll keep on researching and report back!

Hope this helps.... 1. Curbs appetite
2. Flushes excess ketones and waste out of the body
3. Helps lose stored water weight
4. Washes down spicy and salty, low-carb foods
5. Relieves constipation
6. Allows the liver to metabolize stored fat
7. Prevents getting thirsty
8. Psychologically "cleans your insides"
9. Keeps kidneys functioning well
10. Generally considered "healthy"

Wow, thanks sofa jay- I'm going to print that off and stick it somewhere noticeable.

thanks noodles, your posts are always so supportive and kind.

Mo-Jo, you're right, I have raised this as a concern before, but didn't know why it made you lose more...sorry for repeating...

thanks all who tried to help. I'll try not to post it again!!

Oh bless you, what a lovely thing to say - thank you

I really am earning my water anorak badge here, the more I read the more fascinating it is! I've read quite a bit about water increasing your metabolism, which sounds a bit bonkers to me, but I've just come across an American study that also reported this - but with a perfectly plausible explanation. Already we know that you feel cold on a vlcd because the lowered thermogenic response from processing food in the volume your body has got used to, so this makes sense to me - The body works to a core temperature where all functions work well and generally in harmony - too cold is dangerous, too hot is dangerous, so in most circumstances the body has it's own internal temperature regulator to keep the optimum level fairly steady. When you ingest something below this temperature, the body needs to heat it up, this process requires energy. So, drink lots of cold water and your body will have to use more energy to heat it all up - you never pee cold do you! . Hence, increased energy use = more weight loss.

Add onto this the benefits from flushing through toxins and waste products (ketones are this) and it really could be true that water is worth it's weight in gold

See, there you go again noodles- what a star!!! Xx